Blood from the anus can both indicate diseases that do not pose a threat to a person’s life, or it can be a symptom of serious enough diseases that need to be urgently consulted by a doctor. Often bleeding is associated with malaise or damage in the colon or near the anus. There are a lot of reasons for the occurrence of anal bleeding, so treatment is prescribed only after a thorough examination and an accurate diagnosis. In this article, we will try to understand why there is blood from the anus.
Reason for urgent appeal to the doctor
There are many ailments and various pathologies that can indicate anal bleeding, from the appearance of non-hazardous damage to the mucosa and ending with malignant tumors of the intestine and other life-threatening diseases. Urgent seeking medical attention for bleeding is necessary in cases where there is:
- increased body temperature and pain in the abdominal cavity;
- poor health, confused consciousness, severe weakness;
- hematomas on the body that are not related to injuries, nosebleeds;
- prolonged and profuse discharge;
- nausea and vomiting with signs of blood in the vomit.
All these symptoms indicate serious pathologies caused by injuries, infectious or somatic diseases in acute form. You should not be treated on your own and lose time, urgent medical attention is required.
Causes of bleeding from the anus
- Cracks in the rectum. They are formed by squeezing the walls of the intestine with feces. Possible pain during bowel movements. Without mixing with feces, individual drops or smudges of scarlet color, blood flows from the anus. Stains are visible on toilet paper and linen.
- Hemorrhoids. With the rupture of the inflamed hemorrhoid , blood can flow, which quickly stops. With minor damage, a few drops appear. Pain is absent.
- Diverticulosis Appears from a lot of pressure on the walls of the intestines of irritants. With an exacerbation, temperature, abdominal pain, red, dark or black blood appears, depending on the site of inflammation. The condition is life threatening.
- Angiodysplasia. Elderly people suffer due to fragility of blood vessels. Highlight bright red.
- Infectious diseases. They are accompanied by vomiting, fever, nausea and weakness.
- Polyps. Traces of blood from the anus appear during bowel movements, without pain. Timely treatment is necessary, it may develop into a malignant tumor.
- Gastric and duodenal ulcer. Dark discharge of blood mixed with feces. The patient feels weak, the skin is pale.
- Malignant tumors. The discharge is brown if the colon is affected. In colorectal cancer, blood mixes with mucus and pus.
- Crohn's disease. Blood in the stool signals the further development of the ulcerative process, its color depends on the depth of the lesion.
- Vascular thrombosis. Some sections of the intestine cease to be supplied with blood due to blockage, anal bleeding begins. What to do in this case? This is a dangerous pathology. Need urgent help from a doctor.
- Intestinal endometriosis. The disease is caused by proliferation of benign tissue in the intestines. In women, the presence of blood is possible during menstruation. Treatment is required, there is a risk of overgrowing into a malignant tumor.
Diagnosis and treatment of rectal bleeding
With the appearance of blood secretions in the feces, the proctologist conducts diagnostic tests. They consist of several stages, after which the patient is diagnosed and the appropriate therapy is determined. Popular diagnostic methods for determining the reason why blood comes from the anus are:
- conversations with the patient about the onset, symptoms and duration of the disease;
- palpation of the rectum;
- occult blood biomaterial;
- colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy;
- general blood analysis;
- radiological methods (survey and contrast radiography, CT);
- biopsy;
- coprogram;
- blood biochemistry;
- bacteriological analysis of feces.
Blood from the anus is an alarming symptom, therefore, given the results of all examinations, the severity and causes of the disease, a course of therapy is prescribed. With heavy bleeding, emergency measures are taken to stop it and replenish the lost volume of blood and plasma. To stop bleeding use the introduction of hemostatic drugs, laser photocoagulation. In some cases, an emergency operation is performed. Minor blood loss is treated with a special diet and rest, with repeated - conduct a course of treatment of anemia. To eliminate symptoms, special attention is paid to the treatment of the underlying disease. Some anal hemorrhages pass on their own without serious consequences.
Hemorrhoids
This is a common disease that affects more than half of people after 45 years. Why does blood come from the anus for hemorrhoids? This is due to some features of its structure. The structure of the intestine consists of many plexuses of veins. When pathology occurs, their varicose expansion in the lower part of the rectum occurs, blood appears. The disease is often caused by constipation, pregnancy, and a sedentary lifestyle.
The presence of hemorrhoids is noted:
- Itching and burning in the anus.
- The appearance of red blood, not mixed with feces, during or after bowel movements. Intensity - from slight to jet.
- Visible prolapse of nodes during bowel movements or at rest.
An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a doctor after appropriate studies. After identifying the cause of bleeding from the anus, hemorrhoid treatment is carried out at home or inpatiently depending on the condition of the patient.
In the treatment of hemorrhoids should:
- Normalize the stool. To do this, use fractional nutrition, consume more vegetable dishes, add kefir, beets, and prunes to the diet. Sometimes mild laxatives are used.
- At the initial stages of the disease, Relif, Natalsid, Procto-glivenol suppositories and various local ointments are used to stop bleeding and anesthesia.
- In advanced cases, with the ineffectiveness of conservative treatment, surgical intervention is used. Operations give a good effect, but relapses are possible.
Anal fissure
A rectal fissure is one of the answers to the question why there is red blood from the anus. With frequent constipation, diarrhea, injuries, the rectal mucosa is damaged and cracks occur. The disease has an acute and chronic form. During defecation under the influence of feces, severe pain occurs, persisting for a long time. This causes a fear of emptying, which leads to constipation and exacerbation of the disease. In addition, a characteristic feature is bleeding during bowel movements. On the toilet paper, scarlet discharge appears in the form of a few drops, or, conversely, large blood loss can occur, leading to anemia. It all depends on the size of the crack.
To eliminate the causes of blood from the anus and treat the disease, it is necessary:
- Normalize the stool. To do this, use more foods containing fiber, and observe the water regime. When delaying bowel movement, sometimes use a mild laxative of plant origin.
- If severe pain occurs, use painkillers.
- The course of conservative treatment for the healing of cracks lasts 2-8 weeks. Use medicines in the form of ointments, tablets and suppositories. The choice of medicines is determined by the doctor.
- In the chronic form of the disease, they also resort to surgical operations.
Crohn's disease and inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis)
These diseases have much in common. They are chronic in nature, manifested by inflammation, ulcers and functional disorders of the intestines. The patient feels pain throughout the abdomen or in the lower left. With inflammatory bowel diseases, multiple loose stools appear, and with Crohn's disease constipation is tormented. During bowel movements, along with feces, blood is released from a few drops to a large amount, and sometimes pus. Due to the disease, dermatitis, arthritis and liver disease can occur. After examining the patient and identifying the disease, the doctor prescribes the necessary treatment. Both diseases are dangerous in that they lead to malignant neoplasms. In addition, with an increase in ulcers, blood appears from the anus. The cause of bleeding can be peritonitis, which is life threatening. In the treatment of using:
- "Prednisolone" - is the main drug for the treatment of this disease, removes inflammation.
- Special diet.
- Antidiarrheal and pain medication.
- Surgical intervention - with a significant ulcerative lesion, part of the intestine is removed. Recovery after surgery is long and requires the use of hormonal drugs.
Why is blood coming from the anus? Possible causes in children
Even the smallest children may have blood from the anus. Such a symptom causes a justified panic in parents. After all, such a sign often indicates a serious pathology. Blood in the feces of the baby may appear with:
- Allergies to cow's milk, various foods, lack of lactose enzyme. This occurs when the child is transferred to mixed feeding.
- Intestinal torsion or intussusception (bowel obstruction). The disease occurs as a result of a congenital anomaly, a mixture change, overfeeding. The child has a sharp anxiety, fever and vomiting. The stool is liquid, and the discharge of blood from the anus gradually turns into a red lump of mucus. The problem is very serious and requires immediate surgical intervention.
- Intestinal infections of viral and bacterial origin. Along with blood diarrhea, general intoxication of the body, vomiting, and fever occur. Dehydration may occur, urgent need to call for medical help.
- Tendency to constipation. Dense feces cause damage to the rectal mucosa, an acute anal fissure appears. The disease does not require special treatment, but the doctor should give recommendations, so the baby should be shown to a specialist.
To find out the exact reason why there is blood from the anus, it is not enough to establish signs and choose those that are suitable in this particular case. Often, a child combines several diseases at once, therefore, for making the correct diagnosis, in addition to examining a specialist, additional examinations are needed.
Intestinal polyps
These neoplasms of a benign nature form outgrowths on the inner walls of the intestine. They may appear by chance or be a hereditary disease. The danger is that they can degenerate into a malignant tumor. Formations of small sizes do not have any symptoms and are detected only during colonoscopy. When they grow in feces, blood with mucous secretions is detected. The patient is tormented by constipation or diarrhea, and in severe cases, bowel obstruction occurs. When diagnosing, the doctor establishes the signs and causes of blood from the anus, prescribes treatment. With this disease, it is carried out only by surgery. In place of the removed polyps, new outgrowths appear again, especially with the hereditary nature of the disease. The operation can be repeated several times.
Nutrition for anal bleeding
If blood discharge occurs during bowel movements, the first thing to do is to review the diet. For this:
- drink a sufficient amount of liquid during the day;
- consume fermented milk products daily;
- give preference to cereal dishes;
- opt for brown bread.
For constipation, preference should be given to vegetable dishes with a mild laxative effect:
- carrot salads;
- beetroot dishes;
- pumpkin seeds;
- compotes with dried fruits and prunes.
Rectal bleeding in women with menstruation and during pregnancy
If a pregnant woman detects blood stains on linen that are signs of bleeding from the anus, the cause is most likely to be found in damage to the mucous membrane or varicose veins of the rectum. To confirm the assumption, she needs to see a doctor. During pregnancy, hemorrhoids and anal fissures are provoked by the following factors:
- low motor activity;
- frequent constipation;
- non-compliance with the drinking regime;
- the weakening effect of progesterone on the smooth muscles of the rectum;
- pressure on the walls of the intestines of the fetus.
The appearance of blood discharge from the rectum in a woman during menstruation may indicate endometriosis. This is a common gynecological disease that is caused by proliferation of cells in the inner layer of the uterus. The consequence of the disease is infertility.
Blood from the anus in women after cesarean section
In a woman in the postoperative period, the reason why blood is coming from the anus may be hemorrhoids. It could develop during pregnancy due to increased fetal pressure on the internal organs. After cesarean section, the adaptive abilities of the body are violated, which leads to the development of pathological conditions. And compliance with the necessary bed rest after surgery contributes to stagnation of blood in the veins of the rectum, resulting in increased hemorrhoids. To prevent the development of the disease after surgery, women in labor are recommended to put a pillow under the pelvis and legs and there are foods enriched with fiber, as well as dairy products. Perhaps the adoption of laxatives "Dufalac" and "Senada." The main treatment during this period is natural candles with shark liver oil, sea buckthorn and propolis.
Blood color from the anus
The following pathologies are suspected for the color of blood released from the anal passage:
- scarlet blood found on toilet paper and underwear indicates hemorrhoids or anal fissure;
- smudges of red blood indicate the presence of polyps or cancer;
- dark clot blood clots indicate the formation of a tumor of the mucous membrane of the left colon;
- cherry color of blood notifies about violations in the colon;
- tarry stools and black tinges are inherent in diseases of the small intestine, duodenum and stomach.
It should be noted that the color of bloody discharge can only be assumed about a particular disease. An accurate diagnosis is made only by a doctor based on research.
Conclusion
Blood from the anus is a fairly common symptom of an intestinal abnormality. It manifests itself in people of all ages - from infants to the elderly.
To determine the reasons why blood comes from the anus and treat the disease, the proctologist, in addition to examining and palpating the rectum, conducts additional studies: irrigoscopy, sigmoidoscopy and ultrasound. With minor secretions, a stool analysis for occult blood is prescribed. Only according to the results of the examination, the doctor prescribes a course of therapy.